“A Note on Leader Character and Organizational Culture”

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Read the “entire” HBR Articles – “A Note on Leader Character and
Organizational Culture” and Clayton Christensen’s “What is an Organization’s
Culture?” Both of these should be applied in some manner within this Group
Project. Additional internal references that should be considered cover weeks 1
through 9, including all required and optional readings and materials, and
instructor notes (e.g., Schein).
Congratulations! Your team represents the new Engineering Director who has
just been offered the position at ABC LLC with a start date coincidentally around
the same time as the IE600 Group Presentations. Develop a plan for your first 90
days on the job, as well as your first 180 days leading the engineering division on
a path to exceeding your customer and executive leadership expectations.
The plan will be presented to the executive team and focus on how you will
transform the engineering organizational culture.

 

Sample Solution

Plan for First 90 and 180 Days as Engineering Director to Transform Organizational Culture

Introduction

Organizational culture is the set of shared values, beliefs, and behaviors that define how a company operates. It is a powerful force that can influence everything from employee satisfaction to customer loyalty to bottom-line performance.

As the new Engineering Director at ABC LLC, my goal is to transform the engineering organizational culture to one that is more customer-centric, innovative, and data-driven. I believe that this transformation is essential to exceeding the expectations of our customers and executive leadership team.

In this plan, I outline my specific goals for the first 90 and 180 days on the job, as well as the steps I will take to achieve them. I also discuss how I will apply the insights from the HBR article “A Note on Leader Character and Organizational Culture” and Clayton Christensen’s article “What is an Organization’s Culture?” to my plan.

First 90 Days

During my first 90 days on the job, I will focus on the following goals:

  • Get to know the organization. I will spend time meeting with key stakeholders, including engineers, managers, executives, and customers. I will also review the company’s mission, vision, values, and strategic goals.
  • Assess the current engineering culture. I will use a variety of methods to assess the current engineering culture, including surveys, interviews, and focus groups. I will also observe the behavior of engineers and managers in various settings.
  • Identify areas for improvement. Once I have a good understanding of the current culture, I will identify the areas where it needs to be improved. I will focus on areas that are most critical to meeting the needs of our customers and the expectations of our executive leadership team.
  • Develop a plan for transformation. I will develop a plan to transform the engineering culture to one that is more customer-centric, innovative, and data-driven. The plan will include specific goals, timelines, and metrics for success.
  • Communicate the plan to the organization. I will communicate the plan to the engineering organization and other key stakeholders. I will explain the rationale for the transformation and how it will benefit everyone involved.

First 180 Days

During my first 180 days on the job, I will focus on the following goals:

  • Begin implementing the plan. I will begin implementing the plan to transform the engineering culture. This may involve making changes to policies and procedures, providing training and development opportunities, and rewarding new behaviors.
  • Track progress and make adjustments as needed. I will track the progress of the transformation and make adjustments to the plan as needed. I will also communicate regularly with the engineering organization and other key stakeholders to keep them updated on the progress.
  • Celebrate successes. As we achieve milestones in the transformation, I will celebrate our successes with the engineering organization. This will help to keep everyone motivated and engaged.

Applying the Insights from the HBR and Clayton Christensen Articles

The HBR article “A Note on Leader Character and Organizational Culture” emphasizes the importance of leader character in shaping organizational culture. The article argues that leaders must role model the values and behaviors that they want to see in their organizations.

In my plan to transform the engineering culture, I will focus on role modeling the following values:

  • Customer-centricity: I will always put the needs of our customers first. I will make decisions based on what is best for our customers, even if it is not always easy.
  • Innovation: I will encourage and support engineers to be innovative. I will create an environment where engineers feel safe to take risks and try new things.
  • Data-driven decision making: I will make decisions based on data, not gut instinct. I will encourage engineers to use data to inform their work.

The Clayton Christensen article “What is an Organization’s Culture?” describes organizational culture as a set of shared values, beliefs, and behaviors that define how a company operates. The article also argues that organizational culture is a powerful force that can influence everything from employee satisfaction to customer loyalty to bottom-line performance.

In my plan to transform the engineering culture, I will focus on changing the shared values, beliefs, and behaviors of the engineering organization. I will do this by:

  • Communicating the new values, beliefs, and behaviors. I will clearly communicate the new values, beliefs, and behaviors that I want to see in the engineering organization. I will explain why these values, beliefs, and behaviors are important and how they will benefit everyone involved.
  • Rewarding new behaviors. I will reward engineers and managers who demonstrate the new values, beliefs, and behaviors. This will help to reinforce the new culture and encourage others to follow suit.
  • Making changes to policies and procedures. I will make changes to policies and procedures to support the new culture

 

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